Carriage of Dangerous Goods (ADR)

The carriage of dangerous goods by road in Malta is regulated through the Motor Vehicles (Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road) Regulations - S.L. 65.22 which transposes Directive 2008/68/EC. This Directive stipulates that all carriage of dangerous goods within the European Union shall comply with the Annexes to the European Agreement on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods, also known as the ADR.

The Annexes to the ADR regulate a wide range of aspects related to the carriage of dangerous goods, including the following:

• Type of dangerous goods that may or may not be transported;
• Classification of dangerous goods in 9 classes;
• Requirements for vehicles used to transport dangerous goods;
• Volumes of dangerous goods that may be carried;
• Requirements for containers and packaging used to carry dangerous goods;
• Requirements for drivers and crews involved in the carriage of dangerous goods;
• Requirements for professional advisors involved in the carriage of dangerous goods;
• Obligations and procedures to follow for consignors, consignees, transporters, inspectors and other roles.

ADR Vehicles

ADR Chapter 9.1 stipulates that certain types of dangerous goods shall be carried only by means the ADR vehicles listed below:

• FL vehicles: intended for the carriage of flammable liquids with low flash points, not exceeding to 60°C and flammable gases;
• AT vehicles: intended for the carriage of flammable liquids with flash points exceeding 60“C;
• EX/II and EX/III vehicles: intended for the carriage of explosive substances and article.

Undertakings shall ensure that the following documents are available when applying for the registration of an ADR vehicle for use on Malta’s roads:

 Undertakings needing to register an ADR Vehicle for use in Malta shall follow the instructions available here.

 ADR Approval Certificates

Transport Malta, in compliance with ADR 9.1.3 issues certificates of approval for any ADR vehicle which is registered for the first time in Malta (i.e. was never registered before in any other EU Member State).

Vehicles imported from other Member States retain the ADR Approval Certificates issued by the competent authority of the Member State where they were first registered.

ADR Approval Certificates are issued for the following vehicles, as long as they comply with the ADR requirements:

• Tractor Units;
• Rigid-body trucks;
• Trailers or Semi-trailers.

The ADR Approval Certificates for tractor units and for the motorised part of rigid-body trucks are renewable on a yearly basis. Undertakings needing to renew the ADR Approval Certificate for their vehicle(s) need to:

• Have their vehicle(s) inspected by a warranted engineer;
• Submit application form ADR-01 along with the engineer’s declaration and any other supporting document required in the form;

Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (DGSAs)

Dangerous Goods Safety Advisors (DGSA) are certified to provide advice to undertakings whose activities include the consignment, carriage, or the related packing, loading, filling or unloading of dangerous goods, to monitor compliance with legal requirements and to ensure the preparation of an annual report. The detailed provisions regarding the role of a DGSA for carriage by road are listed in ADR 1.8.3.

The following types of undertakings must appoint a DGSA:

• Who consign dangerous goods for carriage which may include the packing, filling or loading the means of transport;
• Operators of road vehicles used for the carriage of dangerous goods;
• Who load/unload dangerous goods in transit to their final destination (including temporary storage), such as freight forwarders or warehouses, including undertakings at ports and airports that load/unload dangerous goods on or off road vehicles.

DGSAs certified by Transport Malta, as well as those certified by the competent authorities of other EU Member States, may offer their services in Malta.

To obtain a DGSA certification issued by Transport Malta, a person shall:

• Attend a training program leading to this certification at any of the training providers approved for this purpose, as listed here;
• Sit for and pass a DGSA test as approved by the Authority.

The DGSA certificate is valid for 5 years, at the end of the which the holder would need to undergo a recertification process involving the same training and tests required for new applicants.

A list of certified DGSAs available to offer their services may be found here

 Drivers of Vehicles used for the Carriage of Dangerous Goods

Drivers of vehicles used for the carriage of dangerous goods need to be certified for this purpose. This certification is structures in a number of separate modules. Applicants may choose to request certification under one or more modules, as per below:

• For vehicles with or without tanks;
• For the carriage of Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 8, and/or 9 substances.

Persons wishing to obtain this certification shall:

• Attend of a training program, at any of the training providers approved for this purpose, as listed here;
• Sit for and pass a test, as approved by the Authority

The certificate for drivers of vehicles used for the carriage of dangerous goods has a validity nof 5 years, after which holder shall undergo a recertification process involving the same training and tests required for new applicants.

Submission of Applications

 Application forms, or any related communication, may be submitted with Transport Malta using any of the following methods:

By hand at Transport Malta’s offices, from Monday to Friday between 07:30 and 14:00, at:

• Level 0, A3 Towers, Triq l-Arkata, Paola.

By phone on:

• Freephone 80072393 (from landline only);
• 2555 5190 

By email via:

• rtlu.tm@transport.gov.mt;
• lynton.ellul@transport.gov.mt.

Processing of Personal Data

This Data Protection Privacy Notice shall apply to all personal data related to these licences.